Sudden moth swarm bedevils New Brunswick towns: ‘People ran out in a panic’

DALHOUSIE, N.B. — A sudden infestation of spruce budworm moths swarmed northern New Brunswick last weekend, leaving people in Campbellton and Dalhousie with stories to tell — and a mess to clean up. Swarms landed on cars, windows and door screens, and circled street lights as darkness fell, even finding their way inside homes and businesses. Dawn Kenny of the Stewart House bed and breakfast in Dalhousie spoke to The Canadian Press about the “horrible” cleanup:

CP: When did this start?

DK: It started Saturday afternoon. We saw a lot of moths outside and then Saturday evening it got worse. It was like we were infested by Saturday evening. They were everywhere.

CP: What were these moths like?

DK: They were black and about 3/4 of an inch.

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Removing bathroom doors at Barriere Secondary increases safety concerns

Apr 02, 2026

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: April 2, 2026

Apr 02, 2026

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Kamloops deserves the full story

Apr 01, 2026

CP: What was it like around town?

DK: They were everywhere and on everything. There were thousands and thousands of them. They were flying in the air in swarms, especially by the lights. Any place with lights, if you walked by, you’d have to push your way through with your hands to get them out of your face. There were so many of them.

CP: Was it worse at night with the lights on?

DK: It was definitely worse at night with the lights. They would come right to the lights, so they’d be all around your home.

CP: Did they manage to get inside?

DK: For us the doors were left open. People didn’t know, or they’d be leaving our bed and breakfast and the restaurant. When people saw the moths they’d kind of panic and run out and leave the door open, so they came into the house.

CP: How many got inside?

DK: Oh my! We cleaned for two days after. We had to clean the house all over and vacuum them out. They stick on the walls and you have to vacuum them or if you touch them at all they squish and they’re black in colour. We had to wash all the walls. It’s a good thing my husband is a hard worker, and we had to get an employee in and help us clean the walls. It was a mess.

CP: Did you have to close down?

DK: We cleaned Saturday night and all day Sunday, so we didn’t lose any business.

CP: Was there any smell to them?

DK: No, no smell.

CP: Was it gross?

DK: Oh I guess it was gross! This is why when people seen them they ran out in a panic when they came into the house. They were hitting them against the walls and then running out and leaving the door open, so more would come in. If you didn’t close the door right away, they just came right in.

CP: Have you ever seen anything like this before?

DK: I have never seen anything like that in my life. We were wondering what caused it. Was it the weather change or were people spraying in the woods near us? We’ve never seen this with weather change before, but you never know.

CP: So they all came on Saturday, and then what was it like on Sunday?

DK: The next day you had the after-effect. There were some around, but very few, just stuck on your windows and screens, but the majority of them were gone.

CP: What did you hear from neighbours?

DK: Most of them were able to keep their doors closed, but had to clean their screens and windows. Everybody was in awe of so many of them. They just couldn’t believe it and are wondering why they all came. A lot of them took videos, but I didn’t.

CP: It sounds like something out of a Stephen King movie.

DK: It does, it sure does, but everything’s good now and hopefully they won’t come back.

Kevin Bissett, The Canadian Press